Panasonic S5 vs Samsung NX mini Comparison

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Panasonic S5

24 MP | Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Samsung NX mini

20 MP | 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Panasonic S5 vs Samsung NX mini Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing S5 and NX mini, two Mirrorless cameras from Panasonic and Samsung. Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 is a Pro Mirrorless class camera and Samsung NX mini is a Entry-Level Mirrorless class camera.

Panasonic S5 was introduced to market in August 2020 and Samsung NX mini was launched in March 2014. As you can see, NX mini is 6 years older than S5. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Panasonic S5 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2020-08-14

24MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor

No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter

ISO 100 - 51200 ( expands to 50-204800)

Leica L Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fully Articulated Screen

2360k dot Electronic viewfinder

7.0fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

714g. 133 x 97 x 82 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Samsung NX mini Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2014-03-19

20MP - 1' BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 160 - 12800 ( expands to 100-25600)

Samsung NX-M Mount

3" Tilting Screen

6.0fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

196g. 110 x 62 x 23 mm

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 over Samsung NX mini

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs None	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Viewfinder	Electronic vs None	Better framing and control
Max Sensor Resolution	24 MP vs 20 MP	19% more pixels
Max ISO	51.200 vs 12.800	300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	225 vs 21	204 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution	1.840k dots vs 461k dots	299% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting	7.0fps vs 6.0fps	1 fps faster
Headphone Port	Yes vs No	better video control
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs No	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs No	creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area	35.30µm² vs 5.82µm²	506% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Video
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode	Yes (96 MP) vs No	Increased resolution with pixel shift
4K Photo Mode	Yes vs No	Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
6K Photo Mode	Yes vs No	Extract 18MP photos from Video footage
Bluetooth	Yes vs No	Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing	Yes vs No	Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking	Yes vs No	Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Post Focus Mode	Yes vs No	Change focus point after taking a shot
Storage Slot	2 vs 1	Extra storage slot
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs No	Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Digital video stabilization	Yes vs No	Stabilizes your videos in-camera
UHS Card Support	UHS-II vs none	Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds

Reasons to choose Samsung NX mini over Panasonic Lumix DC-S5

Built-in Flash	Yes vs No	Useful in low-light
Max Mech. Shutter	1/16000s vs 1/8000s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	650 shots vs 440 shots	210 more frames with a single charge
Weight	196 g vs 714 g	518 g lighter

Common Strengths of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Samsung NX mini

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Adjustable LCD Screen	Fully Articulated vs Tilting	Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Touch Screen	Yes vs Yes	Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Max Resolution	24 MP vs 20 MP	Bigger prints and more details
Continuous Shooting	7.0fps vs 6.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
Microphone Port	Yes vs Yes	High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Weaknesses of Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 and Samsung NX mini

Panasonic S5 vs Samsung NX mini: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Panasonic S5 has external dimensions of 133 x 97 x 82 mm (5.24 x 3.82 x 3.23″) and weighs 714 g (1.57 lb) (including batteries). Samsung NX mini has external dimensions of 110 x 62 x 23 mm (4.33 x 2.44 x 0.91″) and weighs 196 g (0.43 lb / 6.91 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini. Samsung NX mini is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 23mm narrower, 35mm shorter and 59mm thinner than Panasonic S5.

Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini.

Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini.

Top View Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Samsung NX mini is significantly lighter (518g ) than the Panasonic S5 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Panasonic S5 has a Full frame sensor and Samsung NX mini has a smaller 1' sensor, Samsung NX mini's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Panasonic S5 lenses.

Weight Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

NX mini

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Mirrorless Cameras

NX mini

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that S5 has a big advantage over NX mini which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Samsung NX mini features a Tilting only screen which is mostly only good for shooting from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Panasonic S5 sports a Fully Articulated screen which is more flexible and useful especially for taking Selfie shots and video.

Panasonic S5 vs Samsung NX mini: Sensor Comparison

Panasonic S5 has a 24.0MP Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Venus Engine processor. On the other hand, Samsung NX mini has a 20.5MP 1' (13.2 x 8.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Another difference between these two cameras is that Panasonic S5's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the S5 and NX mini sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini Cameras

As seen above, Panasonic S5 has a 7.3x Larger sensor area than Samsung NX mini. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

Panasonic S5 vs Samsung NX mini Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Panasonic S5 has an advantage over Samsung NX mini. There are 43 lenses for Panasonic S5's Leica L mount, on the other hand there are only 2 lenses for Samsung NX mini's Samsung NX-M lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Panasonic S5 has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization (IS) which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. S5's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 6.5-stops according to CIPA standards.
On the other hand, Samsung NX mini doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 1 lenses for Samsung NX-M mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type	# of Panasonic S5 Lenses	# of Samsung NX mini Lenses
Standard Zoom	6	n/a
Standard Prime	10	n/a
Wideangle Zoom	3	1
Wideangle Prime	11	1
Telephoto Zoom	6	n/a
Telephoto Prime	6	n/a
SuperZoom	n/a	n/a
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	n/a	n/a
Macro Prime	1	n/a
Perspective Control Prime	n/a	n/a
Telephoto Mirror Prime	n/a	n/a
TOTAL	43	2

What types of Photography are Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Panasonic S5 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX mini for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.5MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Samsung NX mini for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details

Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Samsung NX mini for Sports Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
225 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details

Fast Max shutter speed: 1/16000s
21 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 650 shots
Wireless Connection
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Samsung NX mini for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
714g
Body Thickness 82mm
Read the details

196g
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
Read the details

Panasonic S5 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Samsung NX mini for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large Full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.5MP
Live-view
Average sized 1″ (13.2 x 8.8 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Panasonic S5 vs Samsung NX mini: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Panasonic S5 and Samsung NX mini scores compare:

Panasonic S5

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #21 out of 90 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #24 out of 1230 in all Cameras

Samsung NX mini

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #39 out of 130 in Rangefinder-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #213 out of 1230 in all Cameras

Panasonic S5 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Samsung NX mini in all criteria except one: Portability. Samsung NX mini is significantly smaller than Panasonic S5. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Samsung NX mini. Otherwise, Panasonic S5 is the better camera overall.

Samsung NX mini vs Panasonic S5 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Panasonic Lumix DC-S5	Samsung NX mini
Brand	Panasonic	Samsung
Announced	2020-08-14	2014-03-19
Body Type	SLR-style mirrorless	Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor
Type	CMOS	BSI-CMOS
Size	Full frame	1'
Dimensions	35.6 x 23.8 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm
Area	847.28mm²	116.16mm²
Megapixels	24 megapixels	20.5 megapixels
Max Resolution	6000 x 4000	5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity	51,200 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	204800 ISO	25600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	160 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	50 ISO	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	225	21
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Leica L	Samsung NX-M
Number of Available Lenses	43	2
Screen
Type	Fully Articulated	Tilting
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	1,840k dots	461k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	None
Viewfinder Resolution	2,360k dots	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	n/a
Viewfinder Magnification	0.74x	n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/8000s	1/16000s
Max Electronic Shutter	1/8000s	n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync	1/250s	1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	7.0 fps	6.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160	1920 x 1080
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264, H.265	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	714g	196g
Dimensions	133 x 97 x 82mm	110 x 62 x 23mm
Battery Life	440 shots	650 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction